Information for Patients

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common compression neuropathy of the upper extremity. It describes a clinical syndrome commonly involving pain, weakness, paresthesias, and/or numbness caused by compression of the median nerve as it passes through the fibro-osseous carpal tunnel at the level of the wrist. The etiology of CTS is likely multifactorial, and diagnosis is made primarily on the basis of a thorough patient history and physical examination. For patients with mild symptoms, a variety of nonsurgical treatments have been shown to be effective in providing relief, including splinting, oral medications, and corticosteroid injection. When conservative treatment fails or a patient presents with advanced neuropathy, surgical intervention is recommended. Whether performed open or endoscopically, surgical release of the carpal tunnel has produced consistently excellent clinical results over the past several decades.